I thought this article by JC was interesting and worth sharing with others.
I have replicated parts of the article here and have provided a link for those interested.
I?m so dead ? shot by both sides in the website war - Times Online
Anyway I thought this was interesting....
I have replicated parts of the article here and have provided a link for those interested.
I?m so dead ? shot by both sides in the website war - Times Online
The fact is this. If something can be digitised, it can be stolen. You record a song, you sell one copy, it goes on the internet and it will be nicked. If you write a book, the same thing can happen. Newspapers, magazines, films, jokes, music: all of it can be, and is being, circulated for nothing, which means the person who wrote and prepared and slaved over the original product is not being paid. That?s not so bad if you are 10 and you?ve posted some mobile phone footage of your friend pulling funny faces on YouTube. But if you are running Paramount Pictures, it is very bad indeed.
I do not know how much it cost to make this year?s surprising hit comedy The Hangover, but it will have been several million dollars. None of that will have been recouped at the box office because the film stars no one you?ve ever heard of. But word of mouth means that some of the cash could be clawed back in DVD sales.
?Fraid not. Because this film is extremely popular with internet-savvy teenagers, it is being downloaded for nothing at an alarming rate. And, speaking as the host of the most illegally downloaded TV show in the world, I know how annoying this can be. It?s why I?ve explained to my kids that they can smoke, drink and push old ladies into boating lakes. But if they steal a song or a film, I will make them live in the chicken run for a year.
Anyway I thought this was interesting....